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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tempus Sans ITC";color:#1F497D'>It helps, too, that written Norwegian (Bokmål) is based on written Danish. I’ve heard Danish described as sounding like it’s spoken with a mouthful of hot potatoes. Having studied it a bit, I can agree that I do indeed feel like I’m speaking with a mouthful of hot potatoes.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Tempus Sans ITC";color:#1F497D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif'> LOWLANDS-L [mailto:lowlands-l-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lowlands Languages & Cultures<br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, July 21, 2017 6:45 PM<br><b>To:</b> Lowlands Languages & Cultures <lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt'>Yes, that seems to be pretty true. I think Norwegians have a leg up on understanding the other two. Danish is just so different phonologically that it makes it tough to understand them. I studied a couple of years of Danish in grad school (decades ago), and never studied Norwegian, but I actually can understand spoken Norwegian better than spoken Danish!<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:13.5pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div id="yahoo_quoted_0869588389"><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>On Saturday, July 22, 2017, 8:24:05 AM GMT+7, Lowlands Languages & Cultures <<a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>> wrote:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div><div><div id=yiv4157740461><div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>And from what I’ve heard, both Norwegians and Swedes have a bit more trouble with Danish. I don’t know where I read the saying, but it’s something like “Norwegian is Danish spoken in Swedish.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Steven<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div id=yiv4157740461yqt97016><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> LOWLANDS-L [<a href="mailto:lowlands-l-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org">mailto:lowlands-l-bounces@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>] <b>On Behalf Of </b>Lowlands Languages & Cultures<br><b>Sent:</b> Thursday, July 20, 2017 11:49 PM<br><b>To:</b> Lowlands Languages & Cultures <<a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate</span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>The question of "closest£ when it comes to languages is very dependent on definition. A philological tree re[resents how different languages developed; it doesn't reflect intelligibility. The classic case is the Scandinavian languages. Norwegian classifies as a West Norse language, on a branch with Faroese and Icelandic. Swedish is East Norse, a distinct branch. The reality is that most Norwegians would struggle to understand more than a handful of words of Icelandic, but can converse with a Swede comfortably.<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8581"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>Paul<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8582"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8814"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8813"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8812"><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8811"><div class=MsoNormal align=center style='text-align:center;background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><hr size=1 width="100%" align=center></span></div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> Lowlands Languages & Cultures <<a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a>><br><b>To:</b> <a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a> <br><b>Sent:</b> Friday, 21 July 2017, 6:50<br><b>Subject:</b> Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8888"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div id=yiv4157740461><div id="yiv4157740461yui_3_16_0_ym19_1_1500619307510_8889"><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>I don't like the idea of creating a kind of rivalry between minority languages so this thread makes me feel uncomfortable. West Frisian is (as the North Frisian languages and Saterfrisian) a language of its own, even if it might show results of the contact to Dutch. I might say the same about Dutch as I wasn't able to learn it because my Low Saxon was stronger and taking control. I can read Dutch without big problems - so Dutch isn't more than a Low Saxon dialect, right? Okay, that was a pun. I hope you get my point.<br>Why cannot we applaude Google Translate and Facebook for their decision and work on for getting the same for Low Saxon and other minority languages?<br><br>As for the relations between the languages around the North Sea: Through the centuries they had many contacts because of migration, trade and politics. Of course that had an impact on the languages. English is even the best example how a language develops because of history. Anglo-Saxons, Danes, Normans - they all came to conquer what we know today as England. They all brought their own languages as sign of their mastery.<br><br>Greetings from Kiel,<br><br>Anja<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><br><br><-----Ursprungligt Meddelande-----><o:p></o:p></span></p><div id=yiv4157740461yqt63874><table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width="99%" style='width:99.0%;border-collapse:collapse'><tr><td width=7 style='width:2.25pt;background:#EFEFF1;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td><td width=7 style='width:2.25pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;min-height:98.25pt'><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></td><td width="98%" style='width:98.0%;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in;min-height:98.25pt'><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>From: Lowlands Languages & Cultures [lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org]</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt'><br>Sent: 20/7/2017 9:50:18 PM<br>To: <a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br>Subject: Re: [Lowlands-l] Google Translate </span><o:p></o:p></p><div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR>Yes. Definitely lively, that's why we should make Google add it</span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span>.</span><span dir=LTR><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>I really don't see the point of making West Frisian a seperate language though, <span lang=AR-SA dir=RTL><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>as it doesn't contain that much of a unique vocabulary, and strongly resembles Dutch. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span lang=HE>בתאריך 20 ביולי 2017 8:24 אחה״צ, "</span><span dir=LTR>Lowlands Languages</span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span> & </span><span dir=LTR>Cultures</span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span>" <<a href="mailto:lowlands-l@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>lowlands-l@listserv. linguistlist.org</span></a><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span>> </span><span lang=HE>כתב:</span><span lang=AR-SA><o:p></o:p></span></p><blockquote style='border:none;border-left:solid #CCCCCC 1.0pt;padding:0in 0in 0in 6.0pt;margin-left:4.8pt;margin-top:5.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=LTR>On 20/07/2017 11:18 AM, Eitan wrote</span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span>:<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><blockquote style='margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt'><div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>Hi all,<span lang=AR-SA dir=RTL><o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> I've requested Facebook they should add low german into their language poll since they recently had added West Frisian which isn't much an obvious choice.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>That being the case, to my surprise Google Translate added West Frisian as well.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>I don't consider West frisian the closest language to English language because of certain reasons. Here's what I wrote:<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>Low german (of plaudietsch language) is spoken by 450,000 people around the world, which is about on par with Frisian on the total. It has a rich body of literature, including the bible, and many unique expressions and vowel sounds. <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>Compared to what is spoken in west friesland, it's a fully-fledged and dynamic language. And while it is true that Frisian is recognised minority language in the Netherlands, Plautdietsch is recognised in belize and has a minority status there.<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal> <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal>Do you agree?<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></blockquote><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span lang=AR-SA><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf55TFRG-2w" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=tf55TFRG-2w</span></a><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lV4S4VLhV0" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=9lV4S4VLhV0</span></a><br><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdaLj8jkJfI" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>https://www.youtube.com/watch? v=EdaLj8jkJfI</span></a><br><br></span><span dir=LTR>Sure doesn't look dead to me</span><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span>.<br><br></span><span dir=LTR>Ed Alexander<o:p></o:p></span></p><div><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span><span lang=AR-SA><span dir=RTL></span><span dir=RTL></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span lang=AR-SA> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal dir=RTL style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;text-align:right;direction:rtl;unicode-bidi:embed'><span lang=AR-SA><br>______________________________ _________________<br></span><span dir=LTR>LOWLANDS-L mailing list</span><span lang=AR-SA><br><a href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistli st.org</span></a><br><a href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l" target="_blank"><span lang=EN-US dir=LTR>http://listserv.linguistlist.o rg/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></p></blockquote></div></div></div></td></tr></table></div></div></div></div><div id=yiv4157740461yqt00712><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='background:white'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>_______________________________________________<br>LOWLANDS-L mailing list<br><a href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org" target="_blank">LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br><a href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l" target="_blank">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</a><span lang=AR-SA dir=RTL><o:p></o:p></span></span></p></div><p class=yiv4157740461msonormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt;background:white'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'><span dir=LTR></span><span dir=LTR></span> <o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div><div id=yqt60398><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:#26282A'>_______________________________________________<br>LOWLANDS-L mailing list<br><a href="mailto:LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org">LOWLANDS-L@listserv.linguistlist.org</a><br><a href="http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l" target="_blank">http://listserv.linguistlist.org/mailman/listinfo/lowlands-l</a><o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>